A JOURNEY TO THE LAND OF YAO IN GUANGDONG, CHINA

Guangdong is one of the richest and most famous provinces of China. Its administrative center Guangzhou is one of the largest Chinese megacities, well known for its economic growth. There are also Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Dongguan, Zhongshan, and nearby- the exclusive Hong Kong and Macao.

But if you go deep into South China, to the north part of Guangdong and pass the northern city of Qingyuan, you will enter a totally different Guangdong- a land of mountains, small towns, and remote villages, subtropical forests, rice terraces, canyons, and rivers.

Proceed further north and you will find yourself in a new fairy landscape- the limestone hills area of Yingxi. Pass Yangshan town, and finally approach the extreme northwest of Guangdong, near the borders of Hunan and Guangxi provinces. There you will reach Liannan, in the land of Yao, one of the most ancient people of China.

WHO ARE YAO?

We walked on the streets of Liannan, a small town in the extreme north of Guangdong province, with its own local life, deep in the interior of China. The center was crowded by a daily market, where the people were selling vegetables, fruits, hens, ducks, and some daily used products. Some of them (mainly women) were wearing their traditional dark blue clothes, bringing their red bags, with their high and decorated hats. They were Yao, and they were still attached to their traditional clothing.

We heard their language- the local Bapai Yao language belongs to the Zaomin variety of the Mienic branch of the Hmong-Mien language family. Who are they? Where have they come from? What is their culture, traditions, history? What is the difference between them and the Han Chinese, the majority ethnic group in China?

The history of Yao

A few thousand years ago, when the first ancient Chinese civilization appeared around the Yellow River, the southern part of today’s China, as well as Indochina (Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia) has been populated by various tribes, from various language groups. In South China they were known are “Hundred Yue“.

The early origin of the Yao is complex and cannot be reconstructed as one simple migration or genealogy. Historical traditions connect their ancestors with ancient populations of central and southern China, while Pan Hu (King Pan) is an important ancestral figure in Yao tradition rather than a documented founder of the ethnic group. Yao gradually moved to South China and mixed with many other tribes, part of Thousand Yue.

In the 3rd century BC, the rising Qin kingdom gradually defeated its rival kingdoms and unified the whole of China under Qin Empire. The Qin Empire expanded into parts of South China, but the relationship between ancient Yue populations and the later Yao communities is more complex than a direct one-to-one continuity. Yao people (as many of the other tribes) often supported one power against another and when the supporting part was defeated, the winners persecuted the supporters. Thus Yao have been often forced to migrate around South China and Southeast Asia- mainly Vietnam and Laos, and in recent times- even to USA and France.

According to China’s 2020 census, there are 3,309,341 Yao people in China, mainly in Guangxi, Hunan, Guangdong, Yunnan, Guizhou and Jiangxi, while Yao communities also live in Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and other countries. And as a Yao saying confess: “There would be no Yao without the mountains of South China (called Nanling)”, which was the cradle of their unique culture.

Yao culture

Yao minority is divided into a few branches. The Yao communities speak several languages and varieties; many belong to the Hmong-Mien language family, while some Yao groups speak languages from other branches or Chinese varieties. The branch of Yao, who settle in Liannan, Guangdong, is Bapai Yao (八排瑶).

Bapai Yao

Bapai Yao, as well as all other Yao people, have rich culture and traditions. They have many festivals. And they celebrate not only their own festivals but the festivals of Han Chinese and the other neighboring minorities like Zhuang and Miao people. Their most prominent festival is the Panwang Festival (盘王节), celebrated around the 16th day of the tenth lunar month and closely associated in Liannan with the large Shuagetang (耍歌堂) celebrations commemorating ancestors and the harvest..

Another interesting festival is the Wanpo Festival (玩坡节), often described as the Yao ‘Valentine’s Day’ and held during the Lunar New Year period. Young men and women gather on the mountain slopes, sing antiphonal songs and take part in traditional courtship games. One of them uses a small bamboo device that shoots paper pellets toward the person they like.

One of the symbols of Yao is the long drum. It is a long red decorated drum, which can be hit on its both sides. You can see it everywhere- in sculptures, monuments, shrines, even like decorated pillars of the buildings. It is used in Yao’s traditional drum dance, related to an ancient legend. In general, Yao people really like music- dance and singing. They have a lot of songs, related to their daily life- working songs, love songs, celebrating songs and many more.

My first Yao friends

I was (and currently I still am) an English teacher in a few kindergartens in Qingyuan, Guangdong. One of the kindergarten teachers was Yao and I was interested to ask her many questions about her people and her land. She was proud to share to me everything, and actually, this made me plan some trips to their land.

Then in the summer of 2017 we made our second trip to Eastern Tibet. We were a group of 12 people and one of them was Fangzi (“Fangzi”- 房子 in Chinese means “house”, and it is a popular name in Yao), a Yao girl, who was the youngest and most active for adventures from the whole group. She enjoyed the grasslands, the glacier of Amnye Machin, the desert of Qinghai, and she was happy to ride horses and to make a lot of photos. And when we had some drink after a trip, we said “nian diu“, which means “cheers” in Yao language.

Thousand Years of Yao village

The same summer we made our first trip to the land of Yao. We visited Nangang (南岗), an old Yao village, located on a mountain slope with great panoramic views of the endless limestone hills. Now Nangang is turned to be a tourist destination, presenting Yao, and it has been given a new name- “Thousand Yeas of Yao village” (千年瑶寨). So it was not so native and original but good for an initial acquaintance of these people and their culture.

We joined a Yao performance. Yao have a lot of dances, related with various daily life activities- working on the rice terraces, building a house, birth and death, and of course- love affairs and marriage. We saw their popular way of dating- by antiphonal singing between girls and boys.

There were even more of their unique dating traditions- girls, sitting in a room, on the second floor of a house. They were sitting, embroidering some art pieces and singing together. Outside young men were walking and singing too. If the girls were looking for a partner, they secretly opened the door of the room where they were sitting. And when the young men approach their house, the bravest one climbed the house and chose one of the singing girls.

We walked around Thousand Years of Yao village, on its steep narrow lanes, full of souvenirs and some local food. It was the living of the local Yao. Anyway, the landscape around us was really stunning. Today, Nangang is a national 4A scenic area. As of September 2026, adult daytime tickets including the Yao folk performance are listed from about 108 RMB in advance and 118 RMB for same-day purchase, although prices can change.

Liannan

A few months later we made our second trip to Yao land. This time we went to Liannan, the main town of Yao in Guangdong province and center of Liannan Yao Autonomous area. It was a Christmas time.

We found many new Yao friends during that trip. Many of them were Christians, part of the Chinese Christian community. They had a Christmas celebration in their church, in the center of the town. I was nicely surprised to see them keep their culture, showing that the faith in Jesus is not a “western religion, bringing a western culture”, as many Chinese think about Christianity, but it is faith from heaven. So, the Yao Christians performed their dances and songs, wearing their Yao traditional clothes, singing in their own style and language. Then, finally, we had lunch together.

Liannan is a small town, but as a center of Yao culture in Guangdong, it is home to the Guangdong Yao Museum, which is free to visit and normally opens from Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00 to 17:00, with last entry at 16:30.So we explored the museum, gathering as much as possible information about these people and their culture. However, what we were looking for, was not a tourist designed area, but a natural site of Yao. And one of our friends there guided us to such a place- Youling.

Youling

Youling is another village of Yao. Actually, it consists of two villages- New Youling and Old Youling. New Youling is located in a valley between the limestone hills, and its houses are relatively new. Most of its population are younger Yao people. Tourism has developed considerably since our visit, and Youling is now part of Liannan’s wider cultural-tourism development, with improved roads, visitor infrastructure and rural accommodation.

We stopped in the parking lot, at the beginning of the village. Tim and his friends came with their truck and they took us to Old Youling, which is located high on the slope of the hills. At the time of our visit, our car was too weak to climb the narrow mountain road, so we needed a truck or 4×4 vehicle to get there. Since then, the access road to Youling has been widened and improved, so the old ‘4×4 only’ situation should not be treated as current.

The houses of Old Youling are old and traditional. Many of them are already abandoned, but some people, mainly old Yao, still live there. Their sons and daughters from New Youling often go to visit Old Youling, whose inhabitants just don’t want to move down and change their way of life.

We saw some of the local Yao, caring their livestock in the wild mountain, wearing their traditional Yao clothes. Everything was silent, with exception of only 2-3 new houses, which were actually a vacation villa for a few richer Yao.

Finally, there was a folk performance in a cave near New Youling. As I said, they tried to develop some tourism in this village, so they have well prepared for the performance. We entered the cave and watched them. Actually, we were the only visitors to watch their performance, and they were very happy to play it for us. We put on Yao traditional clothes, then danced together with them, and drank from a small cup of their local alcohol drink, saying “nian diu“.

How to reach Yao minority in Guangdong

By bus

Long-distance transport from Guangzhou to Liannan has changed since our visit, so the old departure times and fares in this article should no longer be used. Check the current coach connections shortly before traveling. The old Shenzhen–Liannan bus times and fares from our visit are also no longer reliable, so check the current connections shortly before traveling.

Once you arrive in Liannan, check the current local transport to Nangang and Youling; if the connections do not fit your schedule, a taxi, ride-hailing car or local driver is usually the simplest alternative. If you want to get to Youling, there are some local buses from Liannan, which arrive directly to New Youling.

Accommodation

For accommodation, there are hotels in Liannan; as with travel elsewhere in China, it is still sensible to confirm your booking in advance, but since 2024 Chinese authorities have explicitly stated that hotels must not refuse foreign guests merely because they lack a special ‘foreign guest qualification’. Hotels must still register foreign guests’ passport information with the public security authorities. Nangang now has multiple guesthouses and homestays, and accommodation is also available around Youling, so check current listings rather than relying on the limited options from our original visit. Another option is the two other nearby towns- Lianshan and Lianzhou- on less than an hour travel by bus. Lianshan is a town of Zhuang minority and Lianzhou is mainly Han Chinese city.

Around Liannan

After reaching the land of Yao in Guangdong, you can not only visit these people and even make friends with them, but you can also enjoy the stunning natural landscapes in the area. There are a lot of limestone hills, canyons, caves and underground rivers, forests and mountains. You can go to Huangchuan Three Gorges (湟川三峡), the Underground River (地下河) near Lianzhou city, Fushan mountain (福山) or the Golden mountain (金子山). Transport to these places can change, so check current local connections or arrange a car rather than relying on old bus information. There are also one or two-days trips by some local travel agencies.

Anyway, the land of Yao in Guangdong is a really unique place with unique people. It far from the famous destinations of China, one of the hidden gems in the world. So, if you go on a trip to China, and look for some off the beaten path places, Liannan of Yao minority is a great choice and would bring you an unforgettable experience.

Get some impression about the ethnic diversity of China! Yao minority is only one of the ethnic groups in the country. 

Check out some guides and other information about the South China, Guangdong province and its minorities!

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Krasen and Ying Ying

Hi, we are Krasen and Ying Ying. Krasen is from Bulgaria, and Ying Ying is from China. We are passionate about geography and history, and we believe that the best way to experience it is by exploring the Earth in reality, not in a school, and not virtually.

So, we created this blog Journey Beyond the Horizon, where we share geographical knowledge, travel guides and tips how to experience it when you explore our planet, and a lot of inspiration.

And we wish you a happy journey, not just virtually, but most of all- in reality.

Enjoy!

Krasen and Ying Ying

Hi, we are Krasen and Ying Ying. Krasen is from Bulgaria, and Ying Ying is from China. We are passionate about geography and history, and we believe that the best way to experience it is by exploring the Earth in reality, not in a school, and not virtually. So, we created this blog Journey Beyond the Horizon, where we share geographical knowledge, travel guides and tips how to experience it when you explore our planet, and a lot of inspiration. And we wish you a happy journey, not just virtually, but most of all- in reality. Enjoy!